Employment at Will Doc Essay Example for Free

Employment at Will Doc Essay During the nineteenth century a legal rule was developed giving employer’s unfettered power to â€Å"dismiss their employees at will for good cause, for no cause or for cause morally wrong, without being thereby guilty of a legal wrong. † (Halbert, 2012, p. 49). This legal rule is commonly known as Employment-At-Will and ultimately the employer has the rights to sever the employer-employee relationship at any given time for any given reason and whether or not the employee thinks wrongful separation. It is a topic that is debated for many years and in today’s current economy and unemployment rate steadily increasing â€Å"Employment-at-will† is a doctrine that is being used more frequently as employers experience their present day lows. Employers however have to keep in mind the other that in 1960, federal civil rights laws created remedies against employers who fire workers because of their race, national origin, color, religion, sex, age, or disability (Halbert, 2012, p. 9). Later, in 1970s and 1980s, federal and state statutes include protection from retaliation for employees who report violations of environmental or workplace safety laws and those individuals are commonly known as â€Å"whistleblowers†. In essence, whistle blowers are typically long term, highly loyal employees who feel strongly that their company should do the right thing, because in the wave of scandal with major firms such as Enron and World. Com; Congress enacted corporate fraud reform legislation which provides provisions to protect those who report financial misconduct in publicly traded companies. This law is known as Sarbanes-Oxey, or SOX (Halbert, 2012, p. 50). In this assignment the scenario begins as a manager and supervisor of an accounting department, discuss the following issues related to the employment-at-will doctrine and liability of an employer based on actions and responses to the employee’s behavior and actions. Jennifer, a recent graduate, has recently been hired by your accounting firm out of college. Upon being hired, she engages in a number of different behaviors that need your attention. Describe what steps you would take to address the following scenario involving skills, competence, and abilities: †¢The employee seems to be unable to learn the computer applications that are basic to her job responsibilities, but, consistently â€Å"tells† her boss that she is â€Å"a good worker and a genius† and that he does not â€Å"appreciate her†. Even after a few months of training and support, she is unable to use the computer tools to be productive and efficient in completing the required tasks. Employers must first determine was this employee given adequate training, support and feedback while employed. However, feedback can include a performance management plan (PMP) where it measures an employee’s strengths, weaknesses, to the goals and expectations of the company and expectations of the position. If the action plan of re-training, possibly one on one coaching/mentoring are options for this employee and the employee is still not able to grasp the scope of her job duties; it may be a situation where in this scenario the employer can practice employment at will especially after exhausting all methods to help this employee gain as much knowledge that was assumed she was bringing to the company, the employer now may relinquish the employer-employee relationship for good, bad or for no cause at all. Further, the employer does not hold any legal liability as long as no contract was signed upon employment, however if an employee is unable to perform her job duties, the employer does not have much choice than to end employment. Describe what steps you would take to address the following scenario involving management, behavior, and performance: †¢In this scenario, an employee tends to burst into a rage when criticized and is frequently late to work as noticed by her boss and other staff members. When her boss attempts to address her behavioral issues and the company late policy, the employee’s response is that she â€Å"knows her rights and what to do† if she is wrongfully discharged. She also says she took a business law class in undergrad that taught her â€Å"everything she needs to know about exceptions to the employment-at-will doctrine and wrongful discharge in violation of public policy†. Clearly, if this employee has a tendency to have outbursts of rage when criticized this should always have a second party as a witness, along with proper documentation of all verbal reprimands, written warnings reprimands regarding the company’s late policy. We all know that when an employee is considering termination, you need to follow a defined process for best results (Kermit, 2012). There may be a valid reason for her tardiness, however, if the said employee stated she took business law classes in her undergraduate studies she should know full well employment at will outweighs wrongful termination if she was constantly late, violating company policy and warned her job could be in jeopardy, the employer can still choose to terminate employment. Maybe instead of the employee having outbursts, have her to explain the specific reasons for being late and these emotional outbursts because workplace hostility is not tolerated. Maybe the employer can offer her the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which is a support services program to help balance work and life, maybe she has child care issues or lives in a household with only one vehicle, possibly advising her to seek employment within the company with a more flexible schedule. At any rate, this employee has been warned, given support and the problem still remains, the employer must then choose to use Employment At Will doctrine to separate the employee from employment but just as an employer can separate the employee from employment, so can an employee separate themselves from the employer as well; as the definition remains the same â€Å"employment at will†. Describe what steps you would take to address the following scenario involving labor and laws: †¢The employee takes a day off from work, without management consent, for her religious holiday observance that falls on a day that is during â€Å"tax season†. The day off occurred during an incredibly busy period for the company during which the employer had notified all employees they were not allowed to take off without prior management approval. Also, there is no labor union for accountants. However, she begins talking to her co-workers during lunch breaks and sometimes during regular work hours, encouraging them to organize and form a union to â€Å"protect ourselves†. Based upon the federal civil rights laws enacted in the 1960s, there are legal liabilities for dismissal of an employee based on race, national origin, color, religion, sex, age or disability (Halbert, 2012, p. 9). However, an employee cannot take it upon themselves to grant any day off, whether or not they have acquired leave to use for the day out of work. This could be a policy violation and considered a no call any show for work because you decided to take an authorized day off. Management has already expressed â€Å"all hands on deck† for their busiest season and discouraged employees from taking any days off during this time. However, if prior notification had been communicated to the employer of her religious holiday observance, her day off may have been approved. However, she clearly not just violated a policy but disturbed the flow of production and this can cause separation from employment as well but this employee should have sought other alternatives than to authorize her own day off. Also, the employer would need to be very careful before considering termination, due to her attempts to form unions; as early adjustments to the employment –at-will doctrine was made as workers fought for the right to organize and form unions. The U. S. Supreme Court declared that an employer could not use Employment –At – Will to intimidate or coerce its employee with respect to their self -organization; which means an employee cannot be terminated as punishment for attempting to organize a union (Halbert, 2012, p. 49). This employee may have a chance to remain employed in this scenario due to the â€Å"religious holiday observance† issue, however should be reprimanded for no call no show, written up and added to her employee file so there is proper documentation if she decides to authorize her next day off as discipline action to termination can occur. Also, if the employer can also practice â€Å"The Good Faith† covenant, which can be interpreted in different ways meaning that termination must be for cause to meaning that termination cannot be made in bad faith or with malice intended (Muhl, 2001) Describe what steps you would take to address the following scenario involving policies and procedure. †¢The employee’s supervisor consistently asks her out on dates; the employee initially refuses to go out on a date with her supervisor. The employee later discusses the issue with her girlfriend who encourages her to accept his offers. During her new employee orientation, the employee was informed of the company policy which prevented employees from dating their supervisor and was given an employee handbook with the written policy. The employee and her supervisor later begin having a consensual relationship. Often times, employers have to make their employees constantly aware of certain policies and procedures within the workplace. They will have prepared documents as reminders of these internal policies involving securities, workplace violence, and sexual harassment just to name a few. These documents are required to be read and sign as acknowledgement that you fully understand and will be incompliance. In many companies fraternizing is not allowed within the workplace this information should have been advised by written policy in the company’s handbook and or during employee orientation but it is very important this type of relationship be deterred as it could result in sexual harassment case and lawsuits can be formulated. Workplace relationships are risky as they can cause unnecessary conflict and affect not only the work environment but jeopardize one’s areer. At any rate, ethics plays an important role in this scenario and must be considered before entering into any type of workplace relationship.

People Usually Save Some Money

People Usually Save Some Money Chapter 1: Problem and Its Background INTRODUCTION: Savings has always been an important issue for the people to consider. People usually save some money from their income after incurring necessary expenses for the future needs. The cause of saving was not under attention in the developing countries previously, so measures to ask people to save money were very difficult to be taken. But now as time is passing by, youngsters are more into saving money and realize it to be an essential part for transforming their lives more luxurious ahead. Our elders use to tell our youngsters about the importance of money savings and thats the reason some youngsters also prefer saving for their future needs and for other entertainment purpose. But if we ask our elders and parents regarding the youngster saving habits, we generally come to know that they dont pay attention towards savings. And to some extend it is correct. Some of the questions arise here are: Why dont they prefer saving? Do they know the importance of saving? Do we have the right perc eption regarding our youngsters saving habit? In this research we will be finding out our youngsters saving habits, its reasons and its effects. Nowadays the youth is more aware about saving money where social media plays a vital role. Apart from this, due to the recession, parents as well encourage their children to save more and more as expenses are being incurred. Moreover, due to increasing opportunities, youngsters try to save and are well aware as to where they have to spend and where they have to stop themselves. Plus when youngsters move towards savings and are motivated towards it, so they try to adopt different ways to invest their money and for this they usually prefer to open up their bank account which also assists them to create long term relationship with the banks and become their loyal clients. This is the time when it has become our essential responsibility to know the perception of youngsters regarding money saving and what they really think about it and what makes them to save money or spend it. Here I would like to describe the meaning of perception through the definition. According to the business dictionary website, Perception has been defined as The process by which people translate sensory impressions into a coherent and unified view of the world around them. Though necessarily based on the incomplete and unverified information, perception is equated with reality for most practical purposes and guides human behavior in general.1 (Business Dictionary) Perception usually differs from person to person and also affects the behavior of a person. It could be in the favor as well as against the situation. Moreover, perception is defined as the process of interpretation and giving meaning to that interpretation by organizing it.2 (Lindsay and Norman, 1977) From an article regarding the saving practices a person said when he was of the age 18, his parents used to advise him to save money for future from his pocket money3 .They used to bring ceramic pots for saving the cash in it. But now more and more other alternatives have been developed for saving money like UBL Young Savers Account, Bank Al Habib Young Savers Account, and Bank of Punjab Young Lions Account etc. Moreover it not only for the adults, but youngsters even childe of the age two can be benefited with the services of the bank to open up an account for savings. Now a days, progressively more banks are focusing and becoming a centre of attraction in order to enlighten people to save money especially youngsters are being targeted in this regard. Different campaigns are being made for attracting the youth for awareness. Banks like ABL and HBL are among the banks that are motivating the young generation to save money. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: The statement of the problem is to know as to what the perception of youngsters is towards savings. What they really think about it whether beneficial or not. Due to the increasing expenses can they easily save money for themselves? The objective of my of my research is to know their money saving perception. The second objective is to know the challenges faced by them in order to save money. The third objective is to know whether they feel good and comfortable to get opportunities in saving money in the current crucial time of economic shifts. The problems on which I have worked upon are listed below: To know the opinions and the insights of youngsters towards savings as to what is their perception regarding it? What are the reasons they come across that dont let them to save money? Does saving leads them to become materialistic or gaining power is their desire? Can their savings provide support to the economy? SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: This research would really be helpful for the people who are working for the youth of Pakistan especially. Moreover, the Banks and other financial institutions can get advantage through it because these entities are now focusing youth and inviting the youth to save more and more for their future, for the country and for the humanity as a whole. Moreover, the saving schemes can also get advantage through this to know the behavior of the youth towards these campaigns. Since this research covers the perception of youngsters, related to their saving practices, so they will get to know their opinions, their requirements, their point of views and their insights towards saving. SCOPE: The scope of this research is prospecting. It will help us to know the beliefs of youngsters aging from 18 to 26 years. This is the age limit for the respondent that was positioned. Many banks are now working to improve and make better educational programs for the youngsters which will affect them when they would become young adults. The reason for these programs is to create awareness among the people and to help them in establishing themselves. LIMITATIONS: While working for this research, I got to know that most of the respondents have made up their minds to go abroad and work their instead of being a part of their country and strive for it. Some of them are more inclined to depart from here and grab the opportunities to settle abroad due to having more chances to make them able and prove themselves competent. Many of them have got negative views for saving money. In order to have the correct balance of the sample, I came about some problems in finding the actual respondent level. The time period was limited and the survey size was small which would have affected the results. Some of the respondents were uncomfortable to share their information in their information in the questionnaire which also affected the results. The results of youngsters saving perception are not totally representative. Since it contains the replies of limited people so the results are dependent on it. DELIMITATIONS: Some of the delimitations of the study are s follows: The perception of the youngsters with regard to saving may change in future Due to access of new technology and other attractions for the youth they are likely spend money even if they plan to save it. DEFINITIONS: Perception: Youngsters: It includes youngsters aging form 18 to who have enough knowledge of how to save money. CHAPTER # 2 Chapter 2: Research Method and Procedures Introduction of the chapter: Chapter two of the study starts with the research design that describes the central part of the thesis. This chapter then includes research methods which explain the nature of the study conducted, after this it includes the respondents of the study which are the people who responds to the queries asked. After this comes the research instruments which are the tools needed to conduct the research. Then the sources of data which are the means through which we can get appropriate data for the study and to get actual results. Research design: The research design shows the type of research conducted. The type of research carried out here is causal in nature. In the causal research the relationship is proves with respect to the relationship with the variables. The reason to use this kind of research is to know the perception, behavior and insights of the youngsters towards money saving. For this certain interviews and surveys were prepared. Research methods: The study was carried out through both the primary and secondary data collection methods. The study conducted was causal research. From the primary data collection method, quantitative and qualitative study was conducted to present in the numeric form on the basis of opinions and survey conducted through the questionnaire from the respondents. As far as secondary method is concerned, internet and other publications were used to complete the study. Respondents of the study: The primary respondents of the study were the young adults who filled the questionnaire to let us know their opinions and perceptions and apart from this, the interviews conducted from bank managers also come under our primary respondents. Moreover, I did conduct one in-depth interview. It was conducted in such a manner that the six people were in the group having the age bracket between the ages 18 to 26. They discussed their issues and perceptions in detail. Sample: Random sampling was done among the young adults under the age bracket of 18 to 26 years of age. The respondents could be from high school, college, university or any other level. The main reason to select this age is to know their money saving perception and to know what their opinion is regarding different factors that motivate them to save money. A total of 105 respondents were taken on to account for the survey. The sample size was 105. Research instruments: The research instruments are basically the tools needed to conduct the study which eventually helps the researcher to get the prior and appropriate data according to his or her preferences. The tool used in this study is the usage of a questionnaire which was filled up by the respondent who was maximum the age limit required. Sources of data: In order to complete the study the data requirement was one of the main constraints. So for the completion I had to conduct survey from the youngsters aging 18 to 26. Moreover, different articles, books and internet links were the sources of data. Apart from this interviews from different individuals were carried out. Treatment of data: The data collection was analyzed through the statistical tool of SPSS. Along with this bar charts and graphs are used to clearly discover the differences. CHAPTER # 3 Chapter Three: Review of Related Literature and Review INTRODUCTION OF THE CHAPTER: In this chapter, review of all the related writings is considered. Here these writings are summarized and explained. In this chapter, local and foreign literature is included. In the local literature, reviews of the writers are written along with the sources from where they have been extracted which belongs to the local writers. In the foreign literature, reviews are added of the foreign writers. RELATED LITERATURE: It contains the reviews and other theories that supports the topic and tell about the pros and cons of the study through the research conducted by the researchers previously. FOREIGN LITERATURE: Money, money, money how do attitudes toward money impact vanity and materialism? the case of young Chinese consumers 4 A study was conducted in China among the young and the main reason to conduct the research was to know their perception regarding the money and what are the main factors that led them to save money. It is very important now to know the perception of the youth because it helps he strategists and other marketers to shape strategies for them to help them get the best out of life and provide opportunities to them by providing a platform. Through this research paper the author wanted to know the increased materialism among the youth of China. The factors outlined in the research paper were power and prestige, anxiety and distrust. These are some of the motivational factors that motivate the youth to save money. It stimulates them and encourages them to think about money saving. The power and prestige factor explains that the youth save money and would like to have it because it provides them a sense of authority and they feel reputed and classy. The other factor is the anxiety factor that relates that people who dont have enough to spend money but even then they go for purchases in order to reduce their worries. They do shopping and spend their money which provides them a feeling of relief and leisure. The distrust factor explains that they are cautious when are asked to spend money for different purchases. They think several times to spend their wealth. As time is passing by the possession to keep the money among Chinese youth is increasing rapidly. They usually see the high class status people and learn from them that they should also acquire money because through having money and saving it, they would be regarded as powerful and role models for others. Apart form this recent studies show that a new subculture is emerging in China by the name of Bobo which indicates that people save money and acquire it only to become an icon which reflects their personality and where they can attain the luxuries of life easily. The Chinese youth is becoming more and more materialistic in the sense that due to modern era and coming up of new attractions in the society motivate the youth to have money and then acquire things they want. They think that if they will have enough money to spend then they would be able to purchase things of their interests. Moreover in the past, the perception was not have money for spending it on the luxuries of life but now the trend ha changed and they feel good when they spend their money on the means that make them feel happier. Apart from this other attractions to get money and save it is though the credit cards and loans provided. Different promotional campaigns can help the youth to be taught the importance of saving and having money which can assist them to take active and strong decisions as to where and how to spend their money and how they can save it for different situations.4 4Srinivas Durvasula, Steven Lysonski, (2010),Money, money, money how do attitudes toward money impact vanity and materialism? the case of young Chinese consumers, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 27 Iss: 2 pp. 169 179 According to Berti Bombi, Human Development theory states that: Children start saving money when they grow and progress. When they get the awareness and identify the advantages provided by saving money they gradually begin to save more and more. Moreover, during their growth stage, they come across biological, psychological and cognitive stages that let them learn to save, which helps them to get the clear concept of saving money5 (Berti Bombi, 1988 ; Strauss, 1952) http://csd.wustl.edu/Publications/Documents/WP12-23.pdf 5 Saving for the Future- Trends, Patterns and Decision-Making Processes among Young Americans6 The personal savings rate has been dilapidated very rapidly in the U.S. Due to the recessionary period, the situation is becoming worse day by day. People there are in debts and it has become very difficult for them to pay off. Because of this, now extreme attention is being given to the young generation of US. They are being encouraged to save money and accumulate it for their bright future. One of the main costs is for the expenses incurred by the college tuitions. The financial highlights previews that it has now become very difficult for the people to cope up with financial catastrophe around. Some years back, people used to save money mainly to fulfill their necessities, but now the trend is changing. Apart from this much other responsibilities have emerged that include the repayment of credit card bills, tuition fees etc. But people cant help themselves to swallow this bitter truth that whatsoever be the result, they have to undergo through such period where there is so much of difficulty and complications. Keeping in mind the existent trend, the young generation should be aware of the consequences and should get a lesson from it. They should be taught to save money for their present and ultimately future for a better and enhanced outlook of life. In this piece of the literature, it points out to the three main objectives for conducting the research. Firstly the form of the savings done by the young adults, secondly how do they do it, and thirdly, what policies could be implemented for the young adults to help them understand the financial knowledge and encourage them to save more money. According to some of the findings, it was seen that young adults are more into debt than the income they get. The reason for this is the attractions that let them to spend money. They focus on their wants additionally rather than controlling themselves to spend money. They have little control over things to spend money on. It was also found that the young adults had to go through the decision making process where they have experience the five phases of decision making. As time passes by, the need of these young adults arises which inquires for more accounts to buildup their portfolio. The vigor to have more money and accounts for it remains same, but as time surpasses the characteristics or the performance progresses. According to this literature it states that, many of the facts are available from those young adults who have already saved money, but there is no or less data available of young adults that show the challenges they face when thy have to do the money savings. In order to educate the young adults proper training should be provided to them and it is very important at this point in time. It would require uphill effort to instruct them. The larger entity and other financial bodies should pay attention to it to provide counseling to the young adult and to encourage them to save money for their better future. 6Sarah Outcault, (June 2012); Saving for the Future- Trends, Patterns and Decision-Making Processes among Young Americans, Pardee RAND Graduate School Testing an Asset-Building Approach for Young People-Early Access to Savings Predicts Later Savings7 The literature includes three parts. Firstly it includes the young peoples saving behavior towards the asset management practice. Young people are less knowledgeable regarding the strategies promoted for enhancing the asset management. Second part of the literature talk about the behavior of young people savings with regard to the models and concepts presented by the authors earlier. Mainly the neo classical theory, economic socialization theory and institutional models are quoted. Third part of the literature proves whether the money saving practices adopted by the parents in the adolescent brings out better results or when the money saving programs are in touched later in life or when time in need. For the most part the low income households behavior was analyzed. Economic socialization theory talks about that if parents teach their children the money saving pattern, then eventually by their warmth and attention the children would be benefited in the later stages of life. They will have more information, more benefit and more opportunities. If parental attention towards letting child save money by giving them allowances and becoming a role model or an example for them, then they will also adopt the behavior parents commit which will eventually help them shaping their lives. It is stated that if young adults are taught to save money from their younger ages, it would not only improve their habit of saving but they will also be aware of the financial information and other concepts and programs that can help them save money for their future. Institutional model relates that if young people are made conscious of the external facilities at the earlier stages of life like money saving programs, services and products then they will also become good de cision makers of their future. From the literature it was sorted out that young adults, who are emotionally involved with their parents with regard to adoption of money saving behavior, are more experienced and know the inns and outs of it. Apart from this asset management techniques are also well learnt by those young adults whose parents are involved in it and explain to their children about it. Young adults having saving accounts can accumulate more wealth when they have appropriate knowledge about it and other products and programs if transferred to them accordingly can bring a positive impact for them. 7Terri Friedline, William Elliott, Gina Chowa, (2012), Testing an Asset-Building Approach for Young People-Early Access to Savings Predicts Later Savings, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, CSD Working Papers No. 12-12 Contributions of Qualitative Research to Understanding Saving Theory for Children and Youth 8 U.S and world is paying more attention towards Asset-Based programs. The main purpose of these programs is to encourage financial security and to offer positive effects throughout the life of person. But very little or no attention was paid towards childrens saving and the effects of saving for youth and children in this regard. There are many reasons of the importance of asset accumulation for children. Some of the reasons include the saving in childhood is of longer period of time which can be invested as well as can provide greater financial return even if the amount is smaller and these returns are likely to help the children in their education as the cost of tertiary education have increased and shifted to parents and students. Second, the process of asset accumulation in early childhood helps in child development. Third, these practices not only help the children to understand complex financial knowledge and skills but also shape their money management skills. Above all it provides the security for their future needs especially educational needs. There are several theories that provide insights on process and effects of money savings on children. These theories include human development, structural approach, socialization, behavioral economics, and institutional theory. According to the development theory young children are capable of understanding and know that saving is beneficial for them. Childrens cognitive abilities, increases during transitory period from childhood to adulthood but socialization increases form exposure and encouragement to gain knowledge about the financial world. Moreover behavioral economist suggests that vigilant design of financial services and products can increase the chances of making good financial choices regardless of individual characteristics. This paper sheds the light on how children saving are being affected by these theories and examines the evidence to understand the effect and relationship between childrens age and economic socialization. This articles aim was to contribute to saving theory for youth and children by using qualitative studies of three different Child Development Accounts. These accounts provide the opportunity to accumulate savings for the benefit of child. These accounts include, I Can Save a college saving program in school for elementary age children, Opportunity Passport program which provides incentivized saving account, and SEED for Oklahoma Kids, a randomize experiment of incentivized saving plan for children at birth. 1st study explored that most of the children who participated in ICS program belong to the families whose average educational level was 11th grade and reported family income were below $25000 despite the fact that the school where the research took place was racially and economically diverse. 2nd program study (Opportunity Passport) was developed by Jim Casey Youth Opportunities (JCYO) a part of JCYO Initiatives 2009 program for whole country. The participants of this study had received training in financial literacy and upon completion of training, they were provided with an Individual Development Account and a Checking Account. The participants were aged14-24 years and vary from site by site among all four sites. The 3rd study was the large-scale study of universal Child Development Account with randomly selected babies born in Oklahoma in 2007 an experiment known as The Seed for Oklahoma Kid (SEED OK). This study also reveals that most of the families who save more were having a reported income of less than $30,000 and were African Americans. All these three studies had common theme and differences and paying particular attention we could learn about savings of different age of people. Moreover these studies can also provide the insights of how people of different age group think about saving. The ability of participants was affected by circumstances and individual characteristics as described in three studies. Their savings abilities were also affected by some institutional factors. Individual level factors reveal that ICS participants had very low understanding of financial matters because of their elementary age but they were excited about learning it whereas in OP most of the participants had better understanding of money as compare to younger children. Despite having limited income they were engage in much higher level of saving participation for their future needs. On the contrary, looking back to their childhood, younger children in OP and mothers in SEED OK had not learn about how to save during their transitional age towards adulthood. And because of that in OP young children had receive no or little guidance in money management and savings from their families. Although the participants and their families learnt about saving and money management during those studies but they also identified some obstacle to saving. These obstacles include low income, high expenses, and low support in all three studies. Moreover they also identified some institutional factors as bad experience with financial institutions which also hindered them to save. These studies found that the participant appreciated the incentives given to them for savings and had influenced them to save more and pay attention towards money management. Moreover the restricted access to their accounts forced them to save although they didnt like it. That means incentives can take youth and their families towards saving. Effects Of Saving The participants of all three studies discussed their perceived effect of savings on their lives. In all three studies participants positively accepted savings but it can be tempered according to their need and desire. Some of the effects they discussed include enhanced understanding of saving services and product and its use, Savings provides positive vision of future and sense of security, improved financial skills and knowledge as they received training of financial skills and money management during Opportunity Passport program. Moreover participant provided improved understanding between future education and savings. They used their IDA accounts to pay their educational expenses or to purchase attainable assets (e.g. Laptops etc.) These studies show that some program features have greater impact on savings depending on development stage and age group. Foster youth perceived it more positively than other groups as they face greater challenges as, higher poverty, more prior negative banking experience tenuous relationship with family. They appreciate the financial boost provided by OP program. But at the same time they required more guidance about saving and money management and the restrictions helped them to understand development task and importance of accumulation some saving. Study showed that they need more ways to generate money to deposit in to CDAs. The U.S. internationally has never been quicker in moving towards electronic and cell-phone based financial services. Moving towards it and making innovation in it may encourage youth and children to save more. Moreover, children and youth should pay more attention in accordance with their development stage. Saving campaign and information can be designed in a way that appeals particular age groups. As OP youth and mother of toddlers in SEED OK articulated frustration and difficulties in meeting immediate expenses programs shall be made to overcome these obstacles. 8Margaret Sherraden , Clark Peters, Kristen Wagner , Margaret Clancy , Baorong Guo (2012)- Contributions of Qualitative Research to Understanding Saving Theory for Children and Youth , University of Kansas School of Social Welfare and the Center for Social Development at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, CSD Working Papers No. 12-23 Areas further studies: The areas of further studies are to know that whether youngsters will be motivated if they would be provided with some educational campaigns regarding it. Will they save money for there futures keeping in mind the crucial economic downturns? They should help the country as well by saving money and investing it in areas where the country get benefit as well the person himself. Variables: Independent: Income level, economic shift, prom campaigns Dependent variable: Purchasing power, word of mouth, HYPO: Youngsters who save money learn more patience Youngsters who save money for their education Youngsters get the motivation to save the money from their parents Among youngsters reasons for saving less money are increased expenses Youngsters feel that in the current economic situation they can get more opportunities to save money youngsters who think saving money is beneficial REC: INSTAED OF BRANSHCES, MAKE A SECTIONFOR TAREGTING THE YOUNSGTERS AND PROMOTE THEM TO CREATE AEARENESà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ THEY SHOULD GO TO C=SCHOOLS, UNI CONDUT ROAD SHOWS. TEACH THEM HOW TO SAVE FROM EARLY SATGESà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ TEACH THEM HOW TO COPE WITH THE RECESSIONARY PERIOD. AND HOW TO MAKE BUGET AND MAKE FINANCIAL.THIS WILL HELP THEM TO BE INDEPENEN. THORUGH THIS THEIR COMMUNICATIIN SKILLLS WOULD ALSO INCREASE. THERE IS S MUCH POENTIAL AMONG YUNGSTERS, BUT SINCE NO PROPER PLAFORM IS BEING PROVIDE TO THEM SO THEY ARE EFT BEHIND. IT S ENGROSSED WITH THE TALENT. THEY SSHOULD BE MOTIVATED AND ENCOURAGED.

Illusion and Delusion in Conrad’s Lord Jim : A Tale Essay -- Joseph Co

Don Quixote Rides Again: Illusion and Delusion in Conrad’s Lord Jim: A Tale â€Å"‘You are an incorrigible, hopeless Don Quixote. That’s what you are.’† (Conrad 1946b, 44) Fifteen-year-old Konrad Korzeniowski (Joseph Conrad) heard these admonitory words from the lips of his tutor, a Krakowian college student instructed by his maternal uncle (Tadeusz Bobrowski) to talk his nephew out of his eccentric desire to become a seaman. The link between young Conrad’s desire to become a sailor and the renowned knight of La Mancha is not a casual one. In his writings, Conrad generalises the particular case of his vocation for the sea by pointing to the reading of romances of adventure as the cause prompting young men to join the maritime profession. Thus, for instance, in the autobiographical work in which the words of dear tutor are quoted (A Personal Record) Conrad refers to Victor Hugo’s Toilers of the Sea as his â€Å"first introduction to the sea in literature.† (1946b, 72) In â€Å"Tales of the Sea† (1898) ––an earlier piece written at a period in which he was already engaged in the composition of Lord Jim: A Tale–– Conrad speaks of how Frederick Marryat and James Fenimore Cooper, the creators of sea fiction, â€Å"influenced so many lives and gave to so many the initial impulse towards a glorious or a useful career†. (1949, 56) Later essays like â€Å"Well Done† (1918) or â€Å"Geography and Some Explorers† (1924) highlight the role played by romances and books of exploration in triggering young men’s desire for a life of adventure at sea, Conrad’s included. In the latter he calls Nà ºÃƒ ±ez de Balboa, Tasman, Torres, Cook or Franklin â€Å"the first grown-up friends of my early boyhood† and states that their nautical feats were an inspiration for him. ... ...Facts! They demanded facts for him [Jim], as if facts could explain anything!† (Conrad 1946c, 29) This disavowal of the value of facts sounds is an anomalous one to hear coming from a third-person narrator which, traditionally, was supposed to occupy the objective position of a view from nowhere specifically. It is important to add that such a statement is made in Chapter 4, at the end of which the third-person narrator gives the floor to Marlow, a first-person narrator subjectively involved in the story he is telling. 11 Needless to comment on the connection between hepatic diseases and alcoholism. 12 It may be argued that the doctor’s irony and laughter are a sign of nervousness and a symptom of the loss of consistency of his self-representation as derived from a scientific practice whose solidity is equally eroded by the engineer’s atypical hallucinations.

A Proposal to Restore Family Unity in America Essay -- Government Pape

For many people throughout the United States, it is a melancholy but common sight to see broken families, separated children, and squabbling spouses. In a society in which over 20% of marriages end in divorce, it is not surprising that the majority of today’s children grow up in a one parent marriage. The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that in 1993, about 1,187,000 divorces were granted in the U.S., affecting 1,075,000 children. Sadly, some children are even deprived of seeing their mother or father throughout their entire childhood. Many others are allowed to visit one of their parents only once or twice a month. This lack of family unity results in emotional and psychological problems for both the parents and the children. I think it is agreed by most people that the increasing rate of divorce and the problems related to it are subjects of great concern. In fact, anyone who could devise a plan that would restore family unity and bring meaning to the line â€Å"till death do you part† deserves a medal. Having turned my thoughts to the issue for several years now, I have developed a reasonable solution. I humbly propose that the government create a new department, The Department of Marriage Control and Enforcement (DMCE). It will be the job of this agency to prevent troubled marriages from occurring in the first place and to eliminate divorces all together. After a couple has recited their vows, the tradition of exchanging wedding rings will be abolished. Instead, a DMCA official will lock a steel ring onto the bride and the groom. The steel rings will symbolize the newly wedded couple’s commitment to one another and the fact that their future time together has no end. The DMCA official will then weld a three-foot-long chain to each ring, forcing the couple to remain together at all times. Chaining a couple together will prevent couples from obtaining a divorce because the couples will be chained together for the rest of their life. Since couples will be chained together, the y will be forced to think long and hard about marriage before they exchange their vows. Additionally, chaining a couple together will result in increased communication between wives and husbands. Because they will always be together, they will be required to communicate with each other. No secrets will exist between the two. Also, adultery will be greatly reduced due to t... ...any the adults to work and learn their parents’ trade. Most of the parents who have children will accompany their children to school and receive payment for expenses from a certain pool created by working families. After the child is unchained at age 18, the couple can then resume work, unless they have more than one child. If the reader finds this humble proposal objectionable, let him not talk of other solutions: of requiring marriage preparation classes in order to obtain a marriage license: of making divorces harder to obtain: of offering counseling free of cost to troubled couples: of increasing the costs of divorce so that individuals will have to think harder about pursuing one: lastly, of requiring certain classes to high schoolers that explain the consequences of divorce for both the couple and the children. Therefore, I repeat, let no man speak to me of these or like expedients until he has some reasonable idea of how to put them into practice. I hereby pronounce that this proposal has been created to promote the well-being and happiness of families everywhere. I have no motive other than the well being of society because I am not married and do not have children.

Panera Case Essay

Industry Analysis Dominant Economic Characteristics Panera Bread Company is a chain of restaurants, both company owned and franchised, that provides food and beverages with more of a cafà © experience as oppose to a traditional fast food restaurant. Panera NAICS code is 722310, which is classified as food service contractors. Food service contractors can be can be classified as cafeterias, fast food restaurants, or regular restaurants just to name a few. In 2007 there were approximately 23,250 establishments in this industry, which was up from 20,693 in 2002 and 18,991 in 1997, which shows that people are continuously opening more and more restaurants each year. Since 1997, the food industry under this NAICS code has seen significant increase in sales. The total number of sales in this industry has more then doubled since 1997, which can be attributed to two things. One of those is that they’re a just more establishments out there in 2007 then there were 10 years ago. The second, and probably most important reason why sales have more then doubled, is that people are just simply going out to eat more as oppose to cooking at home. Success in this industry is predicated on the ability to be able to not only appeal to consumer taste and preferences but continually changing product offerings to keep these customers happy and loyal to your restaurant. More often then not, companies in this industry fail and go out of business prematurely because they are not able to appeal to a wide enough customer base. Obviously you must have great food in this industry, but equally as important is the location, customer service, prices, and time of day that you choose to do business. If you don’t have a handle on these items then you will likely not make it past the first year without taking a significant loss. Due to the fact that there are different types of needs among customers, there is no way one establishment can serve the needs of everybody. Each restaurant must figure out the few things they do well and service those customers whose needs fit into what that restaurants do well. Driving Forces One of the key driving forces in this industry may seem obvious and simple but it is the most important thing in this industry. The restaurants must have good food to satisfy the ever-changing needs of customers. Since customers do have different preferences and these preferences could change at anytime, food companies must figure out a way to not only attract, but also maintain customer who love their food. However, to develop a sustainable advantage on taste alone is not likely when there are so many options when people eat away from home. Price is also a driving force as it is with any industry. A company must be able to provide their products cheaper then their competition or be able to convince their customer base that their products are worth the extra buck. In order to justify customers spending more money on your products, you have to somehow differentiate your product. Typically, companies either make their products healthier or find ingredients that make the products taste better then the competition if they are charging a premium price. If they are unable to convince consumers that their products are worth the premium price then they must figure out a way to drive down costs so they can charge as little as possible. With the economy struggling, this is a viable option for many companies in this industry. The last driving force is in this industry is location. A prime location can make or break a company. A company can have the best food in the world and even offer their products at great prices, but without the ability to get the foot traffic, because of a bad location, the company is doomed before it is even started. A restaurant must pick a location that will be able to service as many people that they have identified as potential customers. For instance, a healthy sub shop may be inclined to locate their business next to a health spa where people workout. The restaurants that are able to find an optimal location give themselves a far better chance to succeed for many years. A great location can be a sustainable competitive advantage and allow companies to outperform their rivals. Key Success Factors One of the key success factors is to be able to adapt to customer taste and needs in this rapidly changing market. To put it plain and simple, people get tired of eating the same thing so in order for a company to be successful, Companies must have a wide variety of product offerings. This is why you see many restaurants introducing new products for their customers to try. They have trail stages to see if these new products will be a hit and if they are then they keep them on the menu. If their customers do not accept them then they take them off the menu and try something else. So not only must you have a great core group of food options on your menu, but you must be able to change up your menu so that customers don’t get bored with the same options. Another key success factor in this industry is customer service. When people elect to eat out instead of eating at home, they expect to be treated well by the restaurant personnel. Obviously the level of customer service changes depending on the place that an individual is eating at. The more money someone is spending then it is likely that they will expect better customer service. Part of going out to eat is the experience and bad customer service can cause a company to lose customer even if their products are top of the line. Location is also a key success factor and a big one at that. Many companies that are unable to acquire a prime location are unable to stay in business. People don’t want to have to go out of their way to go to a restaurant in most cases so if a particular restaurant is not in a convenient place then they will not get much foot traffic. Foot traffic is the only way that companies in this industry can keep up with their financial obligations and turn a profit. I can say from personal experience that I have chosen to go to a restaurant based on convenience of the location and I feel that I am not the only one who has made a decision like this when choosing a place to eat. Porters Five Forces Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants in the food service contractor industry is extremely high. The restaurant industry is one of the most entered  industries year in and year out. The barriers to open a restaurant are nowhere near as high as other industries and if a restaurant owner can find a niche group of customers in a good location then they can be profitable. However, this is a feat that is much easier said then done. Although it is very feasible for new entrants to enter into this industry, it is definitely not an industry that is easy to have longevity in. The threat of new entrants for Panera Bread is not as high as some of the other restaurants in the industry. They have many established cafes all across the country that have been successful for years and would be hard for new entrants to compete on their level. In local markets a new entrant may be able to undercut the business of one individual store but it would be much more difficult for a start up to undercut Panera in the national or even the regional scene. Also, the fact that Panera Bread has a very aggressive growth strategy makes it even more problematic for new entrants to be able to compete at the level the Panera is on because they are always playing catch up. Substitute Products Substitute products are very prevalent in this industry and it affects all restaurants that are in the food service contractor industry. If you ride down a main street in any decent size city in this country for five minutes you will pass at least one hundred places to eat. Each one of these places is a substitute for one another, which makes this industry one of the most competitive industries that we have. With the number of restaurants growing, there are going to continue to be a plethora of substitute products. Also, items that people purchase at grocery stores and cook themselves are substitutes for restaurants in this industry. Americans are becoming more cognizant of what they put in their body and the best way to be absolutely sure that what you are putting in your body is exactly what you want is to prepare the food yourself. Just like every other company in this industry, Panera Bread is not immune to substitute products and must always account for other companies that offer substitute products. There are many viable eating options for customers in close proximity with nearly every Panera Bread cafe. With this  being the case, Panera must always look for ways to continue to bring customers into their cafes instead of those customers picking another option. Panera has been able to offer some unique products that are perceived as healthy which allow them to lessen the threat of some substitutes but it would be nearly impossible to get rid of the threat of substitute products because there are so many options. Perhaps the most difficult thing for competitors to be able to duplicate is the experience that is provided at Panera. Although there are other companies who are able to offer a pleasant dinning experience in the fast-casual restaurant industry, there is no substitute for this type of customer servi ce. Either you have quality service for your customers or you don’t. Power of Suppliers The power of suppliers in this industry is relatively low. This is due to the fact that there are often many possible suppliers to supply the needs of the restaurants. When this is the case, suppliers have no negotiating power to charge extremely high prices and must come to terms with the restaurants that are purchasing the various ingredients that go into their products. If suppliers are able to develop an ingredient that is rare or somehow do a value chain activity better then other supplier then they may have more negotiating power. However, even with this fact, the majority of the power in this relationship lies with the restaurants that are making the purchases. Panera Bread has 17 regional facilities that make all of its dough and then it is shipped out to each individual store. These facilities are owned or franchised out by Panera Bread, which gives them a huge competitive advantage. They control every step of the making of their main ingredient and this obviously gives them all of the power when it comes to purchasing dough. As long as the people who work there are satisfied then they will have no problem with having there dough needs met. They do ensure that these facilities make a profit but obviously not at the expense of Panera Bread. However, with other products that they use such as paper goods, coffee, and sweet goods, they use independent distributors to meet these needs. These suppliers have a very low amount if power when negotiating with Panera. These suppliers likely depend heavily on the Panera account to survive so  they must meet virtually all of Panera’s requests if they want to continue to do business with them. Some products that each individual store may have to order on a frequent basis may find that they have a little less negotiating power if a particular supplier is able to delivery these supplies on a timely basis. With this being said, the bulk of the power lies with Panera and not the suppliers. Power of Buyers The power of buyers in this industry is extremely high for various reasons. The main one is that there are low switching costs when an individual chooses to go from fast-casual restaurant to fast-casual restaurant. The only real cost may be one place may be further then the other which brings gas prices into play but typically these types of restaurants are located in similar areas so this is not that big of a factor. Anytime someone is spending money in a saturated market with several options, the consumer has all the power. The only way for restaurants to get some of the power back is to offer products that are perceived to be better then the competition. Panera Bread customers have an extremely high degree of power just like customers that buy food within this strategic group in the market. There are viable options for customers of Panera to choose from which always puts Panera in a position in which they have to convince customers that Panera is the best option to meet their needs. Panera must continue to evolve their menu and keep coming up with new items that keep their customers coming back for more. This is the only way that they can take some of the power back from their customers. Rivalry Among Competitive Sellers Everybody wants a piece of the American Dream in this country and the good thing about this country is that through hard work and dedication, anyone can be successful. With this being the case, there is fierce competition in virtually every industry in our country. The food service contractor industry is no exception to this fact and possibly is more competitive then most other industries. There are major players at every single level of this industry and each individual company is always looking for a slight advantage over their competitors. The fast-casual sector of this industry is rapidly growing and it is likely that we will continue to see more and more  companies vying for market share in this industry. The fact that people are spending significant dollars in fast-casual restaurants gives companies in this industry a golden opportunity for continued growth. Panera Bread has been able to carve out a niche in the fact that their dough process is not easily duplicated and nobody has been able to create products quite like Panera Bread. So, in this respect there is not a competitor that is selling the exact same thing that they are selling. However, I feel that Starbucks is a close competitor and they may have some of the same customers. When you think about a place that you can go and hang out with friends or catch up on some work or read a good book, Starbucks definitely comes to mind. In this relationship, Starbucks is definitely big brother and has far more locations around the world then Panera does so they obviously bring in more revenues yearly. Panera is trying to duplicate the atmosphere of a casual place to hang out but they are still playing catch up at this point in time. I also think Chipotle is a competitive rival but for different reasons then Starbucks. Chipotle is a fast-casual restaurant that has been able to create a product that consumers consider different and really tasty. It is a place that you can order and get your food relatively quickly and sit down and enjoy your meal with friends on the inside of the restaurant or outside. Although Chipotle definitely doesn’t have the atmosphere that Panera Bread has, it is very believable that when people are sick of fast food and are looking for a fast-casual restaurant to eat at, these two places come up. I can speak from experience that this has definitely been the case for myself on numerous occasions. Internal Analysis: SWOT & VRIO Framework SWOT Analysis Strengths A. Strong Brand Name B. Atmosphere of Restaurants C. Own Subsidiary for there main ingredient Weaknesses A. Lack of international/domestic presence in comparison to competitors Opportunities A. Expand Domestically/Internationally B. Continue to expand catering activities Threats A. Recession B. New Restaurants Strengths Panera Bread has been able to continually grow and make significant dollars year in and year out because they have many things that they do well. One of these strengths is the brand name â€Å"Panera Bread.† When people think of Panera they automatically think of a fast-casual restaurant with good food. It is somewhere that people can go and not pay significant dollars and walk away being happy with the food that they ate. This is probably the biggest strength that you can have in this industry because if your restaurant name is not associated with quality food then you have no chance of succeeding in the restaurant business. After all, nobody wants to eat food that is not enjoyable going down. Another strength that Panera has is the atmosphere and dinning experience that they provide for their customers. When people think of Panera they think of someplace that can offer relaxation for themselves as well as friends. Its just a great hang out spot where people can catch up on homework, read a good book, and hang out with friends all while enjoying some of the great products that Panera Bread offers. Panera is also able to produce its own dough, which is strength in two ways. The first is the most obvious. They can cut out significant costs when buying from their subsidiary and don’t have to worry about not being satisfied with the end product because ultimately they are producing it. Also, since dough is their main ingredient and what they are famous for they would not want outside knowledge of this trade secret. By producing the dough themselves minimizes significantly the possibility of other companies being able to capitalize on Panera’s trade secret. Weaknesses The biggest weakness that I saw in doing this case study is the fact that they have a lack of an international presence. If they are trying to compete with Starbucks with there dinning experience then they need to be everyplace that Starbucks does business so that customers can choose. This type of expansion could mean more revenues as well as continuing to increase their strong brand name. Domestically they do have a strong presence in the market but they are not at the level that Starbucks is at. Opportunities Panera has several opportunities to improve their position in the market place. One of those opportunities is to continue to have an aggressive attitude about expanding domestically and also to turn some of that energy into international endeavors. Domestically they have a strong presence but if they are going to overtake Starbucks as â€Å"The† fast-casual restaurant then they need to continue to find new markets to put their stores in. Currently they do not have an international sector at all. This is limiting their growth potential significantly and not really giving them a chance to be at the top of the totem pole in their sector of the restaurant business. International expansion could help Panera take their brand name to new heights. Another opportunity they have is to continue to expand their catering sector of their company. In 2004 they started to make a hard push into catering for other locations outside of the stores. By the end of 2005 they saw about 80 million dollars in sales in new sales from this catering sector. The ability to generate these types of sales in this short period of time gives Panera’s management incentive to continue to explore this opportunity. Threats The recession is a huge threat to all businesses that do not provide something that is a basic need for survival. Although Panera does provide food, which is a necessity, they still have to fight with the recession, as people do not eat out as much during tough economic times. Instead, people penny pinch and try to cut down on as many things as possible. Although they could discount their products and possibly generate more sales during this tough economic time, this strategy could make people start to associate their brand as being generic. This strategy would ultimately hurt them in  the long run. Another threat would be new restaurants coming into territory that they do business in and undercutting some of their sales. People have ever-changing taste and are always looking for the new â€Å"hot† thing. Since this is the case, new restaurants that are able to get the attention of consumers in the areas that Panera has restaurants in could pose a huge threat. VRIO Framework Sustainable competitive advantage is the key to any company’s long-term success. Are any of Panera’s strengths sustainable? Strong Brand Name  Valuable: Yes, a strong brand name in the business world is very valuable. It is especially valuable in the restaurant business because when people associate your brand name with having good food then people are automatically going to come in your place of business to get food. Also, this strong brand name gets people talking about your products and word of mouth advertising is amongst the top if not the top form of advertising. Rare: No, a strong brand name is not rare in the restaurant business. Many other restaurants in the fast-casual sector have a brand name that is associated with good food. This is the reason why there are so many of these types of restaurants out there that are able to perform well year in and year out. Although there are many restaurants that are able to build a strong brand name, there are many more t hat are not able to establish this strong brand name. Most restaurants fail within the first year because of this fact. Imitated Easily (Immutable): No developing a strong brand name is not easy. It takes years of creating quality products that people grow to love. Another way is to come up with something so innovative that people have no choice but to recognize that food product with your brand name. Both of these scenarios are extremely hard to pull off successfully. Organization: Yes, the Panera organization is very committed to continuing to build their brand name. This is especially evident in how they franchise their company out to other people. Their franchise owners have to adhere to certain rules and regulations in order to open up a Panera Bread restaurant. Atmosphere of Restaurants Valuable: Yes this is a very valuable aspect of their restaurants. The fast  casual style gives Panera bread an edge over other restaurants and makes it more then just a place that you can get great food. The amenities that are offered at Panera bread makes it a friendly place to eat as well as do various other activities such as hang out with friends or catch up on work. They opened their doors with the idea that the overall atmosphere is what was going to set them apart from others and give them a competitive advantage and that is precisely what they have been able to do. Rare: Yes and No. This overall atmosphere is available in most coffee shops around the world so from that perspective it’s not that rare. However, it is rare in the fact that they have been able to expand into one of the top brands in this sector and are really only second to Starbucks as far as atmosphere goes. They compete on a level that most coffee shops can’t. Imitated Easily (Immutable): Yes and No. Anybody can set up wireless internet and make a space conducive to hanging out and reading books. So in regard to this it is easily imitated. The part that is not easily imitated that Panera has been able to accomplish is that they are recognized by a large number of consumers as a place to go and do the activities mentioned above. Organization: Yes, the Panera Organization is committed to making their restaurant a place where people can go be in a friendly atmosphere. That was the whole basis of what they thought would create their competitive advantage when they opened their doors. Own a Subsidiary for Their Main Ingredient Valuable: Yes, the fact that they own subsidiaries that make their main ingredient is a huge advantage that they have. They are able to cut down on cost as well as always knowing that their dough’s will be exactly what they are expecting. They don’t have to ever worry about negotiating with outside vendors about prices or any other terms for this key ingredient. Also, they can protect their trade secret that is the ingredients and process of creating their dough. Rare: No, they are most definitely not the first company to own a subsidiary that is apart of the value chain. Many companies vertically integrate to gain some of the benefits that I mentioned above. Imitated easily (Immutable): Yes, this is very easy to imitate. The company must have the capital investment to make this happen but gathering the money is not something that can’t be imitated. Typically what keeps companies from  doing this is that they can simply buy the materials needed at a cheaper cos t versus creating these materials themselves. Organization: Yes, Panera is obviously committed to making this subsidiary successful. They could have hired out someone else to make their dough’s but then they would risk exposure of their trade secrets and may have to pay more for the dough. The subsidiary not only cuts down on certain costs but also protects their process of making their dough’s. Strategic Cost Analysis: Value Chain Analysis Primary Activities Supply Chain Management Panera Bread uses a subsidiary to supports its supply chain management as well as other independent suppliers. They get their dough, which is their key ingredient, from their subsidiary. This dough is used to make their assortments of breads, which is obviously what they are known for. They deliver the dough to each individual restaurant and then the restaurant bakes the bread so that the bread is fresh when it reaches the consumer. However, they do receive some of its ingredients for its doughs from other suppliers. Also, sweet goods, paper goods, small ware, and coffee are bought from outside suppliers. Panera feels like it is cheaper to buy these products from various suppliers instead of producing them internally or through a subsidiary. Operations Panera prides itself on being different from the pack in the world of fast casual restaurants. They do this by providing a friendly atmosphere in their restaurants in which their customers can come and get more then just food. This operation technique gives them an advantage over your average fast food restaurant but it is still someplace that you could go to get a meal quickly. Another key aspect of their operation is the fact that they are always changing the menu to appeal to the current customers as well as attract new ones. This is something that is necessary for any restaurant and has proven to be something that Panera does well. Distribution In most major cities in the United States you can find a Panera Bread restaurant to eat at. This is the primary activity for Panera to get their  products to the customer. In this regard, they compete just like every other restaurant in country. However, they are really starting to pick up their catering sector of their company and this could lead to new customers and more revenue. Not only does catering give them another way to sale their products, but it may also expose individuals to Panera for the first time if they are at the catered event. Support Activities Word of Mouth Word of mouth is a huge support activity for pretty much every successful restaurant in the country. This is especially true for Panera Bread since they really don’t do too much to market their restaurant. They rely heavily on current customer’s positive experiences at their restaurant to spark them to tell somebody else. Through this positive word of mouth they are able to gain loyal customers, which is why they are able to sustain their company. Franchises Panera’s Franchise operations are a huge supplement for their company owned stores and they are able to generate significant revenue from their franchises. There is a significant investment required from a potential franchise owner. The franchises give Panera an opportunity to capitalize on their strong brand name. However, they must keep a close eye on each franchise so that they can maintain the Panera reputation. If they let the franchise operate under the Panera name without any rules then they are exposed to the risk of tainting their brand. Strategic Cost Analysis: Competitive Strength Assessment Panera Bread Chipotle Starbucks Key Success Factors Importance Weights Strength Score Strength Score Strength Score Brand Image 0.25 9 2.25 10 2.5 10 2.5 Restaurant Atmosphere 0.2 8 1.6 5 1 9 1.8 Word of Mouth Advertising 0.25 8 2 9 2.25 8 2 Adjusting Menu To Adapt to Consumers 0.1 9 0.9 5 0.5 6 0.6 Price 0.2 8 1.6 8 1.6 6 1.2 Total 1 42 8.35 35 7.85 39 8.1 When performing the competitive strength assessment for restaurants that are in the same strategic group as Panera Bread there were several key success factors that were important. Panera, Chipotle, and Starbucks all performed well in this assessment but with the success factors that I felt were important, Panera did just barely edge out Starbucks. Brand Image was extremely high on the pedestal in the key success factors because in the restaurant business, how the public perceives you will either make or break your restaurant. All three companies performed well in this category but I felt that Starbucks International presence gave them a slight edge over Panera and Chipotle. I rated the restaurant atmosphere as a .2 because I felt like it was a very important factor by not quite as important as brand image. Chipotle struggles with their restaurant atmosphere in comparison to the other two places however; they are still able to succeed in this industry. They have not put as much importance on their dining experience; where as Panera and Starbucks whole method for differentiating themselves from other fast-casual  establishments are creating that warm dinning experience. However, Starbucks also wins this category by a small margin. Word of mouth advertising is a .25 because this is how you grow as a company. When you are able to get your loyal customers to get prospective customers to try out their products then restaurants give themselves a great opportunity to retain new customers. I thought that all of these places do a good job with generating this type of advertising but based on my experiences, Chipotle gets a little more of this type of advertising then the other two, especially from college students. The only one of these three that really makes a true effort to change up their menu is Panera Bread. They are constantly introducing new things to appeal to their customers. However, I didn’t feel as if this was nearly as important as some of the other key success factors. Chipotle and Starbucks have been able to create a menu that their customers like and are not likely to grow bored of eating which is why they are still successful. Since they don’t put an emphasis on changing their menu much, Panera takes this category relatively easy. Price is important within the restaurant business especially during these rough economic times. People are much more cognizant of where their money is spent. Chipotle and Panera offer quality products at decent prices even in these tough times. On the contrary, Starbucks would be on the pricier side especially when it comes to their food selection. They don’t offer big portions and individuals would likely still be hungry shortly after leaving the restaurant. Panera and Chipotle tied in this category as both of them offer good prices for valuable menu items. Financial Analysis The following are some basic income statements for Panera Bread and Chipotle as well as some financial Ratios. I chose these 2 because they are similar in size and are both considered fast-casual restaurants although they do serve different menu items. I do feel that Starbucks is a competitor of Panera Bread as well but they are a much larger company and there statements would make for a very good comparison. Panera Bread Statement of Operations (% of revenue) 2007 2006 Revenue 100% 100% Total Cost and Expenses 92% 89% Operating Profit 8% 11% Income before taxes 8% 11% Net Income 5% 7% Panera Bread Statement of Operations ($ in thousands) 2007 2006 Revenue 1,066,691 828,971 Total Cost and Expenses 977,801 736,295 Operating Profit 88,890 92,676 Income before taxes 88,890 92,676 Net Income 57,456 58,849 Chipotle Statement of Operations (% of revenue) 2007 2006 Revenue 100% 100% Total Costs and Expenses 89.5% 92% Operating Profit 10.5% 8% Income before taxes 10.5% 8% Net Income 6% 5% Chipotle Statement of Operations ($ in thousands) 2007 2006 Revenue 1,085,782 822,930 Total Cost and Expenses 971,780 754,675 Operating Profit 114,002 68,255 Income before taxes 114,002 68,255 Net Income 70,563 41,423 Ratio Gross Profit Margin Net Profit Margin Operating Profit Margin Panera 2007 .74 .05 .08 Panera 2006 .76 .07 .11 Chipotle 2007 .68 .06 .10 Chipotle 2006 .69 .05 .075 Return on Assets Current Ratio Return on S/E Equity Panera 2007 .08 1.17 .13 Panera 2006 .11 1.19 .15 Chipotle 2007 .105 2.75 .126 Chipotle 2006 .08 2.92 .087 As you can see both of these companies are doing well and have been able to turn a nice size profit for these past 2 years. However, Chipotle has been able to grow from 2006 to 2007 as their net profit margin went up by 1% whereas Panera Breads has dropped 2%. I think the newness of Chipotle has given them an advantage in these early years but I don’t think it will be sustainable once people get use to the menu. The recession has hurt Panera more then Chipotle but due to the low liabilities that Panera has, they are still able to make a profit in 2007 that is not much lower then the profit from 2006. I believe that the overall dinning experience and the variety of the Panera menu will prove to be a sustainable competitive advantage going forward over many of its rivals and will provide them financial well-being. Business Strategy Analysis: Porter’s Generic Strategy Panera Bread’s goal is to create the greatest amount of value for the customers when they walk into one of their restaurants. The generic strategy that most closely resembles what they are trying to accomplish is Best-Cost Provider Strategy. This is providing quality products at a cheaper price then what you can get elsewhere. Full meals at Panera can be bought for very reasonable prices and there various bread selections give them an advantage over other fast-casual establishments. So on the basis of taste their products can be considered a bang for your buck. Also, they provide an atmosphere known as â€Å"Panera Warmth† which is something that is not provided  at many other places. Between the reasonable prices for the quality products and the customer friendly environment, they are able to provide more value for their customers then most other fast-casual restaurants. Corporate Strategies: Diversification Diversification in Panera Bread has been an important aspect since they have been open for business. Starting as a company called Au Bon Pain in the 80s, they would eventually change to the Panera name once it took off. This was a move that allowed them to really expand their brand in the 90s and into the 2000s. Another thing that they did to diversify their company was purchasing majority of Paradise Bakery and Cafà © in 2007. Paradise had 70 locations, which gave Panera more restaurants as well as some other knowledge that came along with the purchase. Panera has a very aggressive growth strategy and plan to have 2000 stores open by the en of 2010 in the United States. This type of growth strategy has the potential allow Panera to continue to climb the ladder to being one of the top fast-casual restaurants. Issue 1 A big issue that I see with Panera bread at this point in time is their untapped markets not only domestically but also internationally. They have several major cities that do not have Panera Bread in the city at all which is not allowing them to maximize their earning potential. Also, they have no international presence at all. These cafà © style restaurants would likely catch on well internationally considering the success that Starbucks has had with their international establishments. Recommendation Panera Bread should continue with their aggressive growth strategy. They must make sure that they tap into some of the major city markets that they have yet to such as New York City, Washington D.C., and New Orleans. Panera needs to have several locations in these cities and should make it a goal to have at least 20 in these cities by 2012. Also, they should continue to add restaurants in places like Miami and Seattle where they only have 2 and 5 establishments respectively. In competitive markets in the United States, Starbucks has more then 8 times as many locations as Panera. This is a huge problem is if they ever want to be on the same level as Starbucks.  Internationally, they should pick a few countries where cafes are popular and try to tap into those markets. However, internationally I think that they should take their time instead of implementing the fast growth strategy that they have in the United States. I think they should try to have 100 restaurants internationally by 2012. They have to tap into the international market if they ever want to truly compete with Starbucks and they are in a good position financially now to expand slowly in the international market. Issue 2 Another big issue that is lingering with not only Panera Bread but also every single restaurant is the recession. This recession has hit many Americans hard financially and they have not been eating out as much. This decreases the amount of possible business that fast-casual restaurants can get and this includes Panera Bread. They must figure out a way to continue to grow despite the tough economic times. Recommendation 2 There are a number of things that Panera Bread can do to offset this rough economic stretch that we are in. One of those things is to offer discounts on certain menu items but only make this discount good for a certain period of time. This makes people feel like they are getting a deal on Panera’s products and be more likely to pull in during lunch as oppose to packing their lunch. The limited time on the discounts ensures that your products don’t become generic which is also important for when the recession is over. Another thing that they can do if offer free food to customers after they have purchased so many products from the menu. This gives customers incentive to eat out at Panera even in the midst of a recession. Works Cited Panera Bread. â€Å"Www.panerabread.com.† Panera Bread †º Company Overview †º Our History. 2012. Panera Bread. 06 May 2013 . Securities and Exchange Commissions, U.S. (2008). â€Å"Filed by Bowne Pure Compliance.† Filed by Bowne Pure Compliance. 2008. Annual Report Chipotle. 06 May 2013 . Securities and Exchange Commissions, U.S. (2008). â€Å"Form 10-K.† Form 10-K. 2008. Annual Report Panera Bread. 06 May 2013 . Thompson, Arthur A., A. J. Strickland, and John Gamble. Crafting and executing strategy: The quest for competitive advantage : Concepts and cases. Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2008. United States Census Bureau. â€Å"Industry Statistics Sampler.† : NAICS 722310- Food service contractors. 2007. United States Census Beaura. 06 May 2013 . United States Census Bureau. â€Å"Industry Statistics Sampler.† : NAICS 722310- Food service contractors. 2007. United States Census Bureau. 06 May 2013 .

Horses Poem †Edwin Muir Essay

â€Å"Horses† Edwin Muir in First Poems, 1925 Notes Compiled and Edited by RI First Reading †¢ The sight of horses now, in the present, leads the  speaker to consider his feelings towards horses  when he was a child: ‘Perhaps some childish hour  has come again’. †¢ Main focus: – The various descriptions of horses and the speaker’s feelings towards the horses – An other-worldliness about them, something magical – Admiration and fear are mixed – A clear Romantic feel about the poem: e.g. ‘And oh the rapture†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Stanza 1 †¢ ‘lumbering’ gives the impression that the  horses are moving in a slow, heavy and  awkward way Stanza 2 †¢ Pistons in the machines in an ancient mill are  used to describe the movement of the horses’  hooves as the child ‘watched fearful’ †¢ The use of imagery drawn from the early  industrial age is interesting in what it tells us  about the child’s fear Stanza 3 †¢ The word ‘conquering’ suggests a reference to  an even earlier age †¢ The word ‘ritual’ and the descriptions  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœseraphim of gold’ and ‘ecstatic monsters’ hint  at something pagan or pre-historic Stanza 4 †¢ The ‘rapture’ conveys a Romantic sense of  worshipping these natural creatures: see lines 2–4 Stanza 5 †¢ ‘glowing with mysterious fire’ links with the  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœmagic power’, which describes the horses he  sees in the present day (in the first stanza) Stanza 6 †¢ The powerful force of the horses is captured in  the eyes gleaming with a ‘cruel apocalyptic  light’ †¢ The religious imagery follows on from the  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœstruggling snakes’ of stanza 5 Stanza 7 †¢ The repetition of ‘it fades’ suggests loss,  straightforwardly the fading of his memory †¢ ‘Pine’ means to feel a lingering, often nostalgic desire Exercises †¢ To assist a closer reading of the poem as a whole Stanza 1 †¢ Task 1 – Look up the meaning of ‘lumbering’ and then consider the way it contrasts with the description in lines 3 – 4 Stanza 1 †¢ Task 2 – Look closely at the meanings of ‘terrible’, ‘wild’ and ‘strange’ – These are of course words common in everyday  usage, but precise dictionary definitions of these  words might yield unexpected and original ideas – Note that the horses are ‘lumbering’, whilst the  plough is ‘steady’ Stanza 2 †¢ Check that you have understood the shift in  time. †¢ The rest of the poem deals with the speaker’s  recollection of his feelings as a child. †¢ What impression do you feel is created by the  simile of the ‘pistons’? Stanza 3 †¢ The references in this stanza are to a preindustrial age. †¢ Consider the effects of these words: ‘conquering hooves’, ‘ritual’, ‘seraphim of gold’ and ‘mute ecstatic monsters’. †¢ You should consult a dictionary where appropriate. Stanzas 4 and 5 †¢ What do you make of the tone in stanza four? †¢ Explore the words used to describe the horses,  and to consider what they reveal about the  speaker’s attitude? †¢ What contrast is signalled by the use of ‘But when  at dusk†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ at the beginning of stanza five? †¢ What do you make of ‘mysterious fire’ here and  the ‘magic power’ attributed to the present-day  horses in stanza one? Stanza 6 †¢ Analyse the effectiveness of the imagery: the ‘cruel apocalyptic light’ of their eyes and the personification of the wind. Stanza 7 †¢ Before considering the final stanza and reaching a judgement about its effectiveness, you might read the whole poem (perhaps working in pairs). †¢ Having studied closely the previous stanzas, how do you now feel that the final stanza should be spoken? †¢ How does the tone here differ from the tone in other parts of the poem? Activities †¢ In order focus on the sounds of the poem, you might in pairs or small groups practise reading the poem aloud. †¢ Try to capture a suitable voice for the speaker as you read, and vary the tone as appropriate. †¢ Finally, annotate a copy of the poem, indicating briefly the effects created by imagery and sound devices †¢ Select an example of a device used in a particularly striking or vivid way; explain what it is that makes it striking for you. Thematic links with set poems †¢ Nature: Pied Beauty, Hunting Snake, Pike, The Woodspurge, Upon Westminster Bridge, Summer Farm †¢ Time: A Different History, The Cockroach, The City Planners, The Planners Summary †¢ Past memories †¢ Surpassing reality †¢ The poet reminiscing one of his childhood memories: – Horses ploughing during a rainy day Power of Nature †¢ Expression of the power of nature †¢ Language techniques – Simile – The â€Å"mechanical† metaphor – Oxymoron – Negative connotations Vocabulary of nature †¢ Horses †¢ Field †¢ Blackening rain †¢ Hooves †¢ Stubble †¢ Hulks †¢ Monsters †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Sun Light Bossy sides Flakes Snakes Dusk Gloam †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Fire Bodies Mire Eyes Night Manes Wind Country Tree Figurative Language †¢ Similes – Hooves †¢ ‘like pistons in an ancient mill’ – Image:  » Their hooves are like machines  » They keep on moving up and down, ploughing the whole field †¢ Struggling snakes – Snake-like furrows – Prepares us for the biblical imagery  » ‘cruel apocalyptic light’ †¢ Eyes – As brilliant and as wide as night Personification †¢ Wind Their manes the leaping ire of the wind Lifted with rage invisible and blind †¢ Dusk †¢ The broad-breasted horses in the light of the setting sun †¢ The light coming off of their bodies in flakes †¢ The steaming nostrils †¢ Their warm, gigantic bodies glowing with mysterious fire †¢ The smouldering heat of their bodies in the cold mud †¢ Metaphors – â€Å"Conquering† – â€Å"Great hulks† †¢ Mechanical †¢ Industrial age †¢ Comparing a horse’s power to that of an engine – E.g. car engine – Reader can visualize and sense the physical power of the animal – Powerful image of the horses – Appreciation of the beauty of the powerful force of the horses †¢ Oxymoron – Horses described as ‘mute ecstatic monsters on the mould’ – Horses being presented as ‘terrible, so wild and strange’, yet with ‘magical power’ – Leading the reader to ponder the poet’s message: †¢ The idea of nature fading away and life becoming mechanical – Followed by the disclosure of his dislike of modernisation †¢ Negative connotations – Dark side and despair †¢ Through negative connotations – The â€Å"smouldering† bodies of the horses  » Their eyes gleaming with a â€Å"cruel apocalyptic light† †¢ Here the poet expresses his emotions towards the arrival of evil, or apocalypse and his world turning dark The right words †¢ First half of the poem – Words like â€Å"seraphim† and â€Å"gold† †¢ Emphasis on strong presence and value in nature †¢ End of the poem – â€Å"black field† and â€Å"still-standing tree† †¢ The poet introduces a dark, sad tone – As he expresses his realisation  » faded nature  » loss of its presence Conclusion †¢ Memory – Struggle †¢ Light and darkness †¢ Symbolic – Expresses aspects of nature †¢ Wildness †¢ Innocence

The Immigration Of The United States Essay - 2299 Words

Immigration in the United States has had a contentious history since this country’s first settlers, with overtly exclusive and xenophobic policies being de rigueur throughout colonialism until the mid 20th century, and arguably today. Anti-immigrant sentiment has reigned with each historical immigration wave, intensifying as the demographics shifted from Northern and Western Europeans during Colonialism to more â€Å"unassimilable† races like Southern and Eastern European, Asian, African and Middle Eastern (History of Oppression: Lesson 4- Cultural Imperialism, 2016). Policy is inescapably shaped by public sentiment, and the American white majority believed in the objective supremacy of the â€Å"Nordic race† to exercise political, economic and social control over â€Å"inferior† races (Grant, 1916). This is in stark conflict with the Constitutional values that America is built on, and to whom many have gestured to in the same breath as their anti-immigran t vitriol. It is in this contrast that one must look at the social constructions of immigrants, race and who is worthy of citizenship, and how our country has historically sought to deny and restrict those considered a threat to â€Å"the American way of life† (Jimenez, Pasztor, Chambers, Fujii, 2015, p. **). There have been several mass immigration waves since this country’s founding; British were the primary settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries, along with hundreds of thousands of slaves from Africa; the mid-19th century were mostlyShow MoreRelatedImmigration And The United States986 Words   |  4 PagesImmigration in the United States continues to increase rapidly year by year. According to an analysis of monthly Census Bureau data by the Center for Immigration Studies, the immigration population in the United States, both legal and illegal, hit a record of 42.1 million in the second quarter of this year, an increase of 1.7 million since the same quarter of 20 14 (CIS.org). 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One usedRead MoreImmigration Of The United States1064 Words   |  5 Pages Camarota (2007, p.1), director of the Immigration Studies Center, reports there are 1.6 million documented and undocumented migrants take up residence in the United States every year. Camarota goes on to say that the immigrants occupy one-eighth of the total population who settled in the U.S. The flood of aliens, to a significant degree, hinders the development of the United States. Therefore, the issues which relate to immigration must not be neglected, and the government should keep the numberRead MoreImmigration And The United States Essay1377 Words   |  6 Pages Immigration has been a large conversation topic for such a long time in our country. We have worked on policies for immigration, and have made changes to them throughout the duration of our country’s existence. 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Not all immigrants come to America legally whether as naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents